Senator concerned about Apple’s fingerprint tech

NEW YORK — Sen. Al Franken is concerned about Apple’s use of fingerprint recognition technology in its new iPhone 5S.

The iPhone 5S, which went on sale Friday, includes a fingerprint sensor that lets users tap the phone’s home button to unlock their phone, rather than enter a passcode.

But Franken says that while a password can be kept a secret and changed if it’s hacked, fingerprints are permanent and are left on everything a person touches. In a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the Minnesota Democrat asks for more clarity on security questions.

Apple Inc. says this kind of technology boosts security for users. It adds that the fingerprint data is stored on the phone in a place that’s inaccessible to other apps and to Apple’s remote servers.